Lord our God any more, then we shall die." (Deut. v. 25) But the gospel is the ministration of the Spirit and righteousness; and therefore more glorious, as the apostle argues, 2 Cor. iii. 7, 8, 9. 1. Hereby the curse of the law is removed: for Christ came to bless us,' (Acts iii. 26) that repentance and remission of sins might be preached in his name.'s 2. Hereby we are delivered from the law as a covenant of life, though not as a rule of living'; the righteousness of faith being substituted in the room thereof, as the apostle teacheth us. (Acts xiii. 39. Rom. iii. 20, 28. Gal. ii. 16, iii. 10, 13) 3. Hereby the rigour of the law is corrected, Christ procuring acceptation of sincerity instead of perfection. He is the altar" which sanctifieth all our oblations: so that the Lord, notwithstanding their defects, is well pleased with them, pardoning that in them which comes from our weakness, and accepting and rewarding that which comes from his own grace. (1 Pet. ii. 5. Isa. lvi. 7) 4. Hereby the coaction of the law is sweetened by healing and assisting grace: that, whereas the law doth only drive by terror and bondage unto the doing of duty, which otherwise we should rather have left undone; (mallent licitum quod male delectat,' as St. Austin speaks) the spirit of grace in the gospel, shedding abroad the love of Christ into our hearts*, doth cause us with delight to run the ways of God's commandments", ' ut non sit terribile sed suave mandatum:' for the yoke of Christ is easy, and his burden light, and his commandments not grievous. (1 John v. 3) Gal. iii. 13. Luke xxiv. 47. grat. c. 57. * Vid. Aug. de grat. Christi, 1. 1. c. 8.* Rom. u Heb. xiii. 10. Rev. viii. 3. ■ Aug. de grat. Christi, 1. 1. c. 13. De nat. et Lex jubere tantum potest, non adjuvare :' de pec. meritis et remiss. 1. 1. c. 11. et l. 2, c. 17. Lex jubere novit, cui succumbit infirmitas; gratia juvare, qua infunditur caritas.—In ipsa intus voluntate peccat, qui non voluntate sed timore non peccat: cont. 2 Ep. Pelag. 1. 1. c. 8, 9. Non fit in corde quod fieri videtur in opere, quando mallet homo non facere, si posset impunè. Ergo benedictio dulcedinis est gratia Dei, qua fit in nobis ut nos delectet, quod præcepit nobis. Ibid. lib. 2. c. 9. et l. 3. c. 7.-De spiritu et lit. c. 8, 9, 12, 32.-Quod operum lex minando imperat, hoc fidei lex credendo impetrat. Ibid. c. 1. 3.—Lex data est, ut gratia quæreretur; gratia data est, ut lex impleretur; lb. c. 19. Ep. 95. et 200.-De nat. et grat. c. 15, 16.-De bono viduitat. c. 17, 18. 5. Lastly, hereby the irritation of the law is rebuked: that whereas the restraints thereof did before exasperate corruption, that, like an obstructed river, ab obice sævior iret,' it gathereth strength by suppression; now all the channels of the heart being opened by grace, the course of obedience goeth on with more freedom; and lust is not able to gather head against it, as it was wont to do. 2. The excellency of the gospel will appear, if we compare it with the ceremonial law. For though, quoad substantiam fœderis,' the covenant was the same to them and us, Christ theirs and ours, the New Testament hidden in the Old, and the Old expounded in the New, as St. Austin speaks, yet quoad modum administrandi,' there is much greater excellency in the gospel than in the law; as there is in the body or substance than in the picture or shadow, whereby it is represented. 1. The law was dark and obscure, a veil over the eyes of that people; but, in the gospel, Christ is evidently set forth; (Gal. iii. 1) we see, with open face, the glory of God. (2 Cor. iii. 18) Though the Jews had the same promises of eternal life, and a heavenly country with us, yet they were overshadowed with the types of a Holy Land, and temporal blessings there and therefore the apostle telleth them of another rest, besides that of their sabbath and Canaan : "There remaineth a rest for the people of God." (Heb. iv. 9) 2. The law was exceeding burthensome in many chargeable and painful observances; a yoke, which they were not able to bear. (Acts xv. 10) Whereas the yoke of Christ is light and easy; unto the bearing whereof, he encourageth us by glorious promises, and assisteth us by the supplies of his Spirit of grace. 3. The law is weak and unprofitable, not able to make the comers thereunto perfect, to expiate sin, to pacify God, to Rom. vii. 8. Aug. de spir. et lit. c. 4. contra 2 Ep. Pelag. 1. 3. c. 2. b Cor. x. 4. In Veteri Testamento est occultatio Novi: in Novo, est manifestatio Veteris. Aug. de catechizand. rud. c. 4.-de Civit. Dei, 1. 16. 1, 26.-Fides eadem nostra et illorum: Sacramenta pro temporum diversitate diversa, ad unitatem tamen ejusdem fidei concordissimè recurrentia: Ep. 157.-Justin Martyr, 1. quæst. q. 110.-Leo, Serm. in nativ. Dom. c. 3. 4. Aug. Ep. 220. c. 2. in Psalm 73. cont. 2 Ep. Pelag. 1. 3. c. 4.-Dr. Field, of the Church, 1. 1. c. 5. xi. 30. Omnia quippe fiunt facilia caritate. Aug. de nat. et grat. c. 69. d Matth. quiet conscience, or procure salvation. It is true, by virtue of divine institution, it was profitable to the uses for which it was designed, namely, to prefigure and lead unto Christ for that salvation, which itself could not give. But Christ being come, the use of it is wholly ceased; and it become, to all intents, weak and unprofitable. And therefore Moses and Aaron both died before the entering of Israel into Canaan; the Lord thereby signifying, as Tertullian hath observed, the mortality of the law, and its impotency to bring men into the possession of the promises; that it was to give way to Christ, who had an unchangeable priesthood; and to his gospel, which was an everlasting gospel. (Rev. xiv. 6) Thus we see the excellency of the gospel above the law; for by it only, is ministered grace to pardon the sins committed against, and to perform the duties required by, the moral law; and by it, is Christ exhibited to accomplish the prefigurations of the ceremonial law: for 'the law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ." h III. The excellency of the gospel appeareth, if we compare it with any other the most noble perfections, acquirable by the uttermost improvement of natural abilities, either in genere notitiæ,' or 'in genere morum.' 1. The highest knowledge, attainable by human investigation, is far below angelical learning. But the mysteries of the gospel are so great, that the glorious angels gaze upon them with wonder and adoration. "These things," saith the apostle, "the angels desire to look into ;" (1 Pet. i. 12) alluding to the cherubims with their faces towards the mercyseat. (Exod. xxv. 20) To principalities and powers is made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. (Eph. iii. 10) This is one branch of the mystery of godliness, that Christ is seen of angels.' (1 Tim. iii. 16) This is one great business of the angels about the throne, to ascribe power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, to the Lamb that was slain.' (Rev. v. 11. 12) Again, the highest natural knowledge in the world is no way beatifical. A man may, as to all such learning, be the • Heb. xviii. h John i. 17. f Tertul. cont. Marcion. 1. 3. c. 16. s Heb. vii. 24. VOL. V. 2 K greatest scholar living, and yet perish. But the right knowledge of Christ by the gospel will justify and save those that have it. By his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many." (Isa. liii. 11) It is a knowledge which makes perfect. "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man." (Eph. iv. 13) 2. The noblest moral attainments which men can arrive at by the utmost improvement of natural reason alone *, of the most generous principles, of the precepts of the best philosophers, of the examples of the most eminent heroes,—will, none of it, suffice to bring a man to blessedness. The apostle would not have concluded better things than these to be but loss and dung,' if he might have been saved by them. But there is no other name under heaven, whereby salvation is to be had, but by the name of Christ. (Acts iv. 12) Thus the super-eminent excellency of the gospel of Christ doth appear, by comparing it with all other excellent. things; the excellency of created innocency; the excellency of the law, whether moral or ceremonial; and the excellency of the highest rational or moral accomplish ments. We shall next demonstrate the excellency of the gospel, by considering it absolutely in itself. And here let us first take a view of the supernaturalness and sublimity of it. It is every where, in scripture, called "a mystery', the mystery of Christ, the mystery of the kingdom, a great mystery of godliness,” which signifieth τὸ ἀποῤῥητὸν, καὶ θαυμαστὸν, καὶ ἀγνοούμενον, as St. Chrysostom speaks ", ' some wonderful and unknown thing. The apostle calleth it hidden wisdom,' the 'deep things of God,' beyond the discovery of the noblest created reason in the world. That two natures should be in one person; that God himself should take flesh; that a pure virgin should be soтóxos, the mother of God,' as the council of Ephesus styleth her; that he who blesseth all, should be made a curse himself; who is Lord over all, should become k Absit ut sit in aliquo vera virtus, nisi fuerit justus: absit autem, ut justus vere sit, nisi vivat ex fide. Aug. cont. 2. Ep. Pelag. 1. 4. c. 3. I Mark iv. II. 1 Cor. iv. 1. Eph. iii. 4, 6, 19. Col. iv. 3. 1 Tim. iii. 9, 16. 1 Cor. ii. 7, 10. Chrysost. in Rom. xi. 25.-Casaub. exercit. in Baron. 16. n. 43,—Abbot de verit. grat. Christi, p. 46. a servant himself; that the Prince of life should die, and the Lord of glory be put to shame; that the sin should be punished, and the sinner pardoned; that the Son of David should be the Lord of David, and the Son of Mary the Saviour of Mary; and he who made the world, be born into the world four thousand years after the world was made; these were mysteries shut up in the bosom of God, undiscoverable by any created wisdom, till he himself was pleased. to reveal them. Again: let us here consider the sanctity of the gospel, as a great mystery of godliness. The whole design and contrivance thereof being, 1. To set forth the glorious righte ousness of a holy God, that neither his verity nor sanctity might be impaired by his clemency and mercy unto sinners. For though he spared them, that he might in them show the riches of his grace; yet he spared not his Son, but delivered him up for us all, that in him he might declare his righteousness. (Rom. iii. 25) 2. Another design of the gospel was to restore lapsed man unto that primitive holiness wherein he had been created; (Col. iii. 10)" for the grace of God which bringeth salvation, doth also teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from iniquity, (Tit. ii. 11, 14) and from our former vain conversation. (1 Pet. i. 18) And this the gospel doth not only by the precepts thereof as a rule of holiness, but by the grace thereof as a principle of holiness, helping us to do what we are commanded. "Efficit fides, quod lex jubet : lex imperat, fides impetrat," saith St. Austin": the law only commands, but faith ordains help to do what is commanded. The law was given to demonstrate our impotency; but grace was given to heal and to remove it. Again; here offereth itself to our view the admirable contexture of justice and mercy, the unspeakable contrivance of redemption and salvation by the gospel. There seemeth to be a kind of conflict between the attributes of God, as St. Bernard hath observed; justice and truth resolved to punish n Aug. Ep. 89, 95. cont. 2. Ep. Pelag. 1. 3. c. 7.-de grat. et lib. arbit. c. 14, 16, 17.-Prosper. cont. Collatorem, c. 3. ⚫ Serm. 1. in annuntiat. B. Mariæ. |